


October 26, 2018

by Boffin1710



Series: Fool Me Once [5]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Boys In Love, Character Death, M/M, The things we don't say, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 18:08:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15176384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boffin1710/pseuds/Boffin1710
Summary: 2019 would definitely be an interesting year...





	October 26, 2018

Of course Q was late.  When you worked in Q Branch, minion or department head, you were never on time to anything.  At least Moneypenny had taken pity on him and waited for him so he wouldn’t have to walk in awkwardly on his own.  The sun had already set as they wandered the Albert Embankment towards their destination. 

Moneypenny slipped her arm through his as they walked.  She had led him to believe she waited so neither of them would have an awkward entrance to pub night.  And partially it was because the Quartermaster of MI6 should not wander the Thames alone without some sort of protection detail.

“Before you even ask, Moneypenny, I know your ulterior motive for waiting for me was to have time alone with me so you could try to poke at me.”  Q teasingly chided her.

“Me?  Would I do that?” Eve feigned innocence but they both knew exactly where things stood.  “I just needed to see for myself that you are doing alright. You hide it so well sometimes.  Is it so wrong for a friend to be concerned about you?”

“I’m fine Eve.  Honestly. Things still hurt at times, but it's getting better.” Q patted her hand that rested on his arm.  “I do appreciate your thoughts. But the important question for the night is,” Voices and music filled the night air as they reached their destination..  “Are you going to entertain us this evening?” 

"You know me," she giggled.  "A few gins and I bear no responsibility for the performance of my inner diva."  She patted his arm as he halted at the bar indicating she would head to the lower deck to find the others.  He ordered a large G&T for her and a guest ale for himself then wove his way to the stairs.

A few faces he knew nodded at him, but he was scanning the crowd for familiar faces, and he spotted them just as Bond raised an arm to attract his attention.  "Thought you weren't going to make it, but Moneypenny said she wasn't going to let you back out. We have a star in our midst, did you know?"

Q screwed his nose up in confusion and took a sip of his ale.  "A star? Have you heard Moneypenny sing?"

"Not her," Bond chuckled, pointing at the group of ukulele players that were settling down to start.  "Tanner is joining the band. Apparently he's been playing around the pubs for a while, did you know?"

"Not at all."  Q caught Tanner's eye and gave the man a thumbs up as they started to play, warming up with a couple of tunes before the first singer of the evening stepped up to give a typically jaunty rendition of the Monkees 'I'm a Believer'.

"He's pretty good," Q leaned close to Bond's ear to comment over the music and and singing from the gathered clientele, most of whom were joining in with the singing as the evening, fun and drink, flowed on.

"How can you tell?" Bond laughed.  "It's all a bit twangy for my liking.  Must be getting old. I'll head up and get another round in."

After a few more rounds, Moneypenny was doing her best to drag Q up to sing along with her and fighting a losing battle.  “No Eve!” He laughed and batted her hand away as she tried to drag him out of his seat. “I refuse to make a spectacle of myself again with you. Go away.”  

“Q… you know you want to. Show off that lovely singing voice of yours and you may find an admirer for the evening.”  

“You are such a cow, Eve.  Besides, I’m doing important things like drinking,” he wobbly held up a pint, already over his limit for the evening, trying to ward her off.  “Ask Bond to sing with you. I need to head soon. Tomorrow will come too early.”

“James…” Moneypenny batted her lovely eyes and waved a hand in Bond’s direction trying to coax him from his seat. 

"Oh no, I haven't drunk anywhere near enough to sing tonight.  Besides, I should head too. I have a budget meeting first thing, and as usual I've done no prep."  He grinned at her pout but waved a hand towards Tanner who, having had one or two pints over his limit, was hollering a promise to her to play whatever she wished.  "Go! Have fun! I'll make sure this pumpkin gets home," taking Q's arm, urging him to drink up.

"Pumpkin?" Q scowled at the head of the double oh program as he was escorted to the upper deck and off the boat to the solid paving of Albert Embankment.  "Arse!" He wobbled slightly and Bond caught his arm, steadying him on his feet.

"You need to eat.  Takeaway on the way home?"  Bond let go of Q's elbow and waited for Q to agree.  After a few long moments, where Bond recognised Q having an inner dialogue with the departed love of his life, Q smiled and nodded.  "Your turn to choose."

Forty minutes later, stuffed carrier bags in hand, they stumbled through the door of Q's ground floor flat.  "I'll get the plates," Bond announced, "You operate the coffee contraption. Living room, ok?"

Bond served up the food but left the plates on the counter while Q attempted to make coffee, disappearing into Q's lounge.  A short time later the strains of Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' oozed into life, plucking memories from all four corners of the flat.

"Ok?" Bond reappeared to collect the plates, waiting anxiously for Q's reaction to his selection.  

"One of our... my favourites."  Q smiled and it was only a little sad around the edges.

Halfway through their meal the vinyl that Bond has chosen came to an end.  Q uncoiled himself from where he had sat on the floor with his plate to chose another recording.   Standing in front of the shelves, he caresses the shelved organised covers with almost a reverence.     
  
“It’s quite a collection.” Bond broke the silence.     
  
“An eclectic one.  Lance loved them.” Q sighed pulling one off the shelf having made a selection.  “Was constantly searching through odds and ends shoppes to add to them.” A vintage ‘71 studio album by The Electric Light Orchestra began to play as Q wandered back picking up his plate again. While Q’s thoughts drifted elsewhere for a tad and Bond was convinced Q was carrying on a conversation with his ex in his head again, he wandered into the kitchen to bring in the remaining takeaway to refill their plates once more.  

One thing Bond had come to realise was that Hendricks would never be far from Q’s thoughts, though there were plenty of days now where the memories made him happy instead of sad.  He still hoped that one day he would come to mean that much to someone. Maybe even Q himself, but for now he was enjoying this developing… friendship. For Bond, who had thought he had pushed it so far out of reach, it was a relationship he discovered he treasured.

“I have a proposition Q.”  Bond began as he let the last of the dumplings tumbled into Q’s plate.  “An hour of your time in the morning and your assistance with my budget report before my meeting in exchange for the extra invitation I have to the private opening of the new gallery in Camden next weekend.”   
  
“Date stand you up, Bond?” Q poked at him.  “And besides, why should I help you. I’m not the one who procrastinated until the last moment.” Q waved his chopsticks in the air at Bond chastising him.     
  
“Point taken, Q.”  Bond chuckled holding up his hands in surrender.    
  
“I have a counter proposition Bond.   If you share the remaining shrimp curry with me, I’ll logon to Moneypenny’s computer and reschedule your budget appointment for the day after tomorrow.”   
  
“Such a shrewd negotiator, Quartermaster.  How has MI6 overlooked that talent in you.”   
  
“Hush Bond.  Grab my laptop and hand over the curry.”  Q grabby hands begged for the shrimp curry takeaway box.  Laptop on the floor next to him, Q works his magic so it appeared Moneypenny has rescheduled Bond’s appointment as he shoved shrimp in his mouth.     
  
“Done.” Even before he could grab another shrimp.  “And that is why I am the Quartermaster. You owe me Bond.”   
  
“What I owe you is a few hours sleep.” He commented as he took his plate and things to the kitchen.  Bond bent down and kissed Q lightly on the cheek. “Goodnight Q.”    
  
The fond parting gesture was a recent development and after his initial surprise and wariness of Bond’s motives had passed, Q found he didn’t mind it.  It was never more than a light brush of lips on his skin or occasionally his hair, and it never felt like it needed to become more. Bond wasn’t the same cocky smart arse that had returned to Six, though if Q teased him about becoming soft, Bond would fire the same right back at him.  Perhaps they were both different men now.

“James,” Q’s voice stopped him at the door.  “Ask me again in a few days about that gallery opening.  You may owe me for something else by then. Now off you pop.”

Bond closed the door behind him and waited until he heard Q secure the locks before he left. A smile crossed his face as he walked towards his car thinking about the evening and the past months as he walked towards his car.  

2019 would definitely be an interesting year.     
  


 


End file.
